The application described herein relates generally to gas turbine engines, and more specifically to a flange joint assembly for use in a gas turbine engine.
Gas turbine engines typically include an inlet, a fan, low and high pressure compressors, a combustor, and low and high pressure turbines. The compressors compress air which is channeled to the combustor where it is mixed with fuel. The mixture is then ignited for generating hot combustion gases. The combustion gases are channeled to the turbine(s) which extracts energy from the combustion gases for powering the compressor(s), as well as producing useful work to propel an aircraft in flight or to power a load, such as an electrical generator. Each of the compressors, combustor, and turbines include casing that are coupled to adjacent casings a flange joints.
During engine operation, significant heat is produced which raises the temperature of the casings and their respective flanges. However, in at least some known turbine engines, the inner surface of each casing is exposed to different temperatures than the outer surface of the casing such that any joint comprising multiple flanges experiences high thermal gradients within each flange. Such thermal gradients introduce significant tension stresses onto the flanges which in turn decrease the service lifetime of the flanges and, therefore, the casings. Shorter service life (durability) of turbine engine components increases maintenance frequency and associated costs.